Can you explain the prophet Muhammad's life prior to his Messengership with
respect to his mission?
- The extraordinary events took place on the night of his birth. For
example, most of the idols at the Ka�ba toppled over; the palace of the
Sassanid Emperor shook and cracked, and its fourteen pinnacles collapsed;
the small lake of Sawa in Persia sank into the earth, and the fire which
was worshipped by the Magians at Istakhrabad and had been lit continually
for a thousand years was extinguished. Together with these events, the
different character he displayed even in his childhood and the meaningful
signs men of insight observed on him meant that he would undertake a great
mission in future.
- During the period of his life prior to his Prophethood, he opposed
injustices in his community and joined organizations like the Hilf al-Fudul,
which was established to defend the helpless and restore usurped rights to
their owners.
- Although of honorable descent, he never lived in luxuries and grew up
as an orphan under the protection of first his grandfather and then his
uncle. Although he may have earned some money by the trade he did before
and after his marriage, he used to spend whatever he had to support the
orphans, widows and the poor and therefore never lived a wealthy life and
did not have powerful backing.
- Despite the moral corruption in his community, he lived an
extraordinarily chaste and perfectly disciplined life, without never
falling into dissipated ways. During his childhood, he intended only twice
to attend wedding ceremonies but on both occasions sleep overpowered him
half-way. When he was 25 years old, he married Khadija, a respected widow
fifteen years older than himself and never married again until her death
25 years later. Those who knew him said that he was as shy as a young girl
when asked for in marriage.
Muhammad�s childhood and youth were a prelude to his
Prophethood. Besides his other exalted, laudable characteristics, everyone
agreed upon his truthfulness and trustworthiness
- Muhammad�s childhood and youth were a prelude to his Prophethood.
Besides his other ex-alted, laudable characteristics, everyone agreed upon
his truthfulness and trustworthiness. He never lied, never cheated and
never broke his word. He was called �the Trustworthy� even by his
bitterest enemies.
People would say of him: �If you go on a journey and need someone to whose
safeguarding you will entrust your family and belongings, you can entrust
them to Muhammad without hesitation.� The Ka�ba had been partly ruined by
rain and resultant floods. The Quraysh restored it. The moment came when
the Black Stone had to be put back in its place. It would be an honor for
the individual or clan who did that since the Black Stone was revered for
its sanctity. In order to prevent a clash which was about to ensue between
the clans to acquire that honor, they all agreed on the arbitration of
Muhammad. He asked them to fetch a piece of cloth, which he spread on the
ground. Putting the Black Stone on it, he told the chiefs of the clans to
take each a corner of the cloth. In this way the Stone was raised to the
required height and then he took it himself and put it in its place.
Thanks to his wisdom, the danger of a war between the clans was averted.
Muhammad learned from no one during his whole lifetime and
was never influenced by the written culture of the time.
- Muhammad was unlettered. He learned from no one during his whole
lifetime and was never influenced by the written culture of the time.
Towards his fortieth year, he used to retreat to the cave of Hira�. This
unlettered man came out of the cave with a new, wholly authentic message
to heal all the wounds of humanity and challenged all the literary
geniuses to produce a like of his message. This alone is enough to show
that he is a Prophet sent by God to guide humanity to truth.
No one among his enemies dared to accuse him of lying or
cheating.
- No one among his enemies dared to accuse him of lying or cheating. In
order to prevent the spread of his Message, they only labeled him
sometimes as a poet, sometimes as a sorcerer or magician and sometimes as
an insane one. There were times when, in order not to accept his Message,
they put forward false pretexts, saying: �If only this Qur�an had been
sent down to one of the great men of the two cities (Makka and Ta�if)?�
- It is inconceivable that a man of forty who, until then, was never
witnessed to tell a single lie and to cheat, and to display any moral and
intellectual imperfection, would completely change, suddenly and
unexpectedly, and begin to cheat everyone and continue to do so without
being discovered. As prior to his Prophethood, no one, including his
bitterest enemies, ever accused him of lying and cheating, so also after
it, though they uttered different slanders about him, they could not help
but confess his truthfulness. If they had ever witnessed any dishonest act
by him, or if, to answer his challenges, they had been able to produce the
like of a single chapter of the Qur�an, in order to discredit him or stop
him preaching his message, they would not have felt obliged to wage war on
him. However, after years of futile resistance caused by low and selfish
motives, even his most bitterest enemies like Safwan ibn Umayya, Abu
Sufyan ibn Harb, �Amr ibn al-�As, Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl and others, finally
accepted the truthfulness of his message.
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